Rocket Math & Flashcards Explained

Here is a brief explanation of what Rocket Math is, how it works, and how you can help to make this a great learning tool!

When your child began Rocket Math, he or she was given a "how fast can you write" test to determine what his or her individual goal would be. That way there is no penalty for slower writers. The goal for math facts is then based on knowing each fact within 3 seconds.

From there your child was given a quick placement test to see which facts he or she already knew. Not all children started in the same place if they were able to recall the given facts within the 3 second per problem limit.

Each set of problems in rocket math is assigned a letter. Unlike traditional timed tests or "mad minutes" which have all the addition facts from +0 to +9, the daily rocket math pages start with the +1 facts (letter A) and add 4 new problems with each new letter (Letters B, C, and so on). When the students get to letter W, X, Y, & Z it is a review of all the addition facts.

Your child's flashcards correspond with the letter page he or she is currently working on in rocket math. A - E, F - J, K-O, P-W. So as your child progresses, he should be bringing home additional cards to add to his deck. These benchmarks are written on your child's rocket and new cards can be obtained when they are ready for them.

As students pass addition, they will begin subtraction, followed by multiplication, and then division.

Thank you for supporting your child by making practicing their facts an important part of your homework routine. It is a foundation for so many of the things we do in math that the more accurate and automatic the students' facts are the better they will do in other areas of mathematics, too!

Mrs. Scott's Blog Has Moved!

Please visit Mrs. Scott and all of her furry monster friends at her NEW website!  Click below to be redirected.  Please bookmark the new site and sign up to receive an email when changes are made to the site!